Chicken Empanadas
Delicious tender chicken combined with smoky warm vegetables and salty olives, encased in yummy buttery pastry. Enjoy as a delicious snack that's also good for taking on a picnic or serving at a buffet or party.
Ingredients
Pastry:
- 350 g (2 ⅞ cups) plain flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 0.5 tsp salt
- 175 g (6.2 oz) unsalted butter diced
- 1 medium egg beaten (for the pastry)
- 100 ml (½ cup) cold water
- 1 medium egg beaten (for glazing)
Filling:
- 240 g (8.5 oz) chicken breast
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 chicken stock cube or pot
- 500 ml (2 ¼ cups) cold water
- 1 small onion (approx. 60g) finely chopped
- 1 clove garlic finely chopped
- 1 red pepper (approx. 150g) deseeded and chopped
- 8 pitted black or green olives chopped
- 1 tbsp tomato puree
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp salt
- 0.5 tsp pepper
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Instructions
Make the pastry:
- Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Add the butter and then rub it all together with cold fingertips until you have a fine breadcrumb mixture.
- Add in 1 of the beaten eggs and the water to bring it together (note: the dough will appear loose and sticky, however, it is easy to work with due to the quantity of butter in it). Wrap it in cling film and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Poach the chicken:
- Season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper then put it in a small saucepan on a high heat along with the chicken stock cube or pot. Pour in 500ml of cold water, and when the water begins to boil, lower the heat to a simmer and cook the chicken for 15 minutes (turning once, halfway through cooking). Remove the chicken and set it aside to cool on a plate before shredding. Transfer the stock to a jug or container for using in another recipe that requires chicken stock – it’ll have extra flavour!
Make the filling:
- Mix the remaining filling ingredients (except the oil) together in another bowl. Heat the olive oil in a medium or large frying pan over a medium heat and fry the filling mixture for 7 minutes. Remove from the heat, add the shredded chicken and allow to cool.
Assemble and bake:
- Preheat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 6 and line 1 or 2 baking trays with baking paper. Roll the pastry dough into a large log and then divide it into 10 equal portions. On a lightly floured surface, roll each portion into a ball with your hands, flatten and then roll into approx. 10cm circles using a rolling pin.
- Share the filling into the centre of each dough circle (approx. 1.5 to 2 tbsp each). Wet the edges of each circle with water, fold the pastry over to enclose the filling and use a fork to crimp the edges.
- Arrange the empanadas on the lined baking trays, brush with the other beaten egg and bake for 15 to 18 minutes until the pastry is golden. When the empanadas are ready, remove from the oven and transfer them onto a cooling rack for 5 minutes before serving. They’re delicious eaten hot or cold.
Notes
- This chicken empanadas recipe is easily adapted if you’re cooking for less or more people.
Nutrition
Calories: 318kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 86mg | Sodium: 572mg | Potassium: 198mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 983IU | Vitamin C: 16mg | Calcium: 49mg | Iron: 2mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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